Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership with Ruth Haley Barton

Season 14: Advent Week 1 | The Darkness of Waiting

This season we invite you to walk through Advent by engaging with the lectionary Scripture readings and listening for what God might want to say through them. In each episode, Ruth and members of the Transforming Center staff will read and reflect on the themes of Cycle C of the Revised Common Lectionary for Advent together.

 

In this conversation, we wondered what it looked like to “lift your soul to God” in the midst of so many difficult realities, how we bring our anger and despair to God, and Ruth’s practice of watching for the light each day. Ruth concluded with the poem “For the Darkness of Waiting” by Janet Morely. 

 

Mentioned in this episode:

Invitation to Silence and Solitude by Ruth Haley Barton

Bread of Tomorrow: Prayers for the Church Year by Janet Morely

This podcast season is designed to be a companion to this year’s updated Advent Reflections, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come: Walking Through the Advent Season Together, Year C.”  The Advent Bundle includes both the softcover and digital edition of the Advent Reflections and a set of 5 corresponding Advent Liturgies to print out and pray as a family or with others. It is available now in our online store.

This month, patrons at all levels received a bonus conversation between the creator of the Advent Liturgies, Charity McClure, and podcast producer, Colleen Powell where they discussed their experience using these liturgies with their families. Become a Patron today to hear that conversation and all of our other bonus content.

Advent 2021 Teaser

Season 14 of the podcast invites leaders to walk through Advent by engaging with the lectionary Scripture readings for the New Year of the church calendar and listening for what God might want to say to us through them. In each episode, Ruth will sit down with members of the Transforming Center staff to read and reflect on the themes of Cycle C of the Revised Common Lectionary for Advent. This podcast season is designed to be a companion to this year’s updated Advent Reflections, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come: Walking Through the Advent Season Together, Year C.”  The Advent Bundle includes both the softcover and digital edition of the Advent Reflections and a set of 5 corresponding Advent Liturgies to print out and pray as a family or with others. It is available now in our online store.

 

Patrons at all levels received a bonus conversation this month between the creator of the Advent Liturgies, Charity McClure, and podcast producer, Colleen Powell where they discussed their experience using these liturgies with their families. Become a Patron today to hear that conversation and all of our other bonus content.

 

Please join us when the new season of the podcast begins on November 22

BONUS: Ask Ruth #3 Excerpt

BONUS: Ask Ruth #3 Excerpt

 

In this bonus episode, we want to share another excerpt from our most recent Ask Ruth episode.  Every month we release bonus content to our patrons through Patreon. In our Ask Ruth series, patrons get the opportunity to submit questions for Ruth to answer. Ask Ruth #3 covered questions specific to season 13 of The Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast | Invitations from God. In this excerpt, you can hear Ruth share what she thinks are the most important invitations for pastors to respond to right now.

 

The Ask Ruth series is available to patrons at both the $5 and $10 levels. Patrons at the $10 monthly level also receive regular Beyond the Episode content when the podcast is in season. These episodes take the conversations from The Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast to deeper and more personal places.

 

We would love for you to join us over on Patreon! You can go to our Patreon page to sign up to become a patron and support our podcast ministry.

BONUS: A Conversation about Becoming a Transforming Church

In this special bonus episode, we are sharing a conversation with Biz Gainey, a pastor and long-time Transforming Community alum, about his experience leading a Transforming Church. The Becoming a Transforming Church Retreat has equipped him and his team to foster a community that gathers around the presence of Christ for the purpose of spiritual transformation so that they can discern and do the will of God. Biz shares the practices and disciplines his church uses for spiritual formation and how they have served him and his congregation in the midst of challenges facing many churches today.

 

If you are interested in attending the upcoming Becoming a Transforming Church retreat on November 1-3 find out more here.

 

To sign up and receive special promotional pricing exclusive for podcast listeners email podcast@transformingcenter.org

 

The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders.  Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!

Season 13: Episode 12 | Invitations from God: Invitation to the Most Excellent Way

On this last episode of season 13, listen as Ruth and Adele discuss God’s invitation to the most excellent way: love. Using 1 Corinthians 13 as a guide, they examine the counterfeits of love as well as love’s litmus tests.  We close with an opportunity to reflect on all the invitations covered in this season and ponder which one God might be nudging you to explore more deeply.

 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Invitations From God by Adele Calhoun

 

 

Support the podcast by joining our revamped patron program over on Patreon. Patrons will now also receive regular bonus content as well as opportunities to hear Ruth answer their questions. Become a patron today and support our podcast ministry.

 

SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS

You can also access the podcast on Stitcher and Spotify.

 

Music Credit:

Yesterday Today Forever: Music in Solitude CD (Available soon in our online store) 

 

The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders.  Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!  

Season 13: Episode 11 | Invitations from God: Invitation to Remember

In this week’s conversation, Ruth and Adele explore the invitation to remember. They discuss how we remember, the forces that shape our narratives around our memories, God’s invitation to allow our memories to uncover truths about the present day, and the discipline of remembering God’s goodness and faithfulness. God’s invitation to remember, both the good and the bad, can be a catalyst for healing in our lives.

 

 

 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Invitations From God by Adele Calhoun

The Healing Presence by Leanne Payne

 

Support the podcast by joining our revamped patron program over on Patreon. Patrons will now also receive regular bonus content as well as opportunities to hear Ruth answer their questions. Become a patron today and support our podcast ministry.

 

SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS

You can also access the podcast on Stitcher and Spotify.

 

 

The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders.  Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!  

Season 13: Episode 10 | Invitations from God: Invitation to Pray

In this episode, Ruth and Adele use the Lord’s Prayer to examine God’s invitation to prayer. They share what God is currently calling each of them to as it pertains to prayer. How does the “Our” in the opening line “Our Father” call us to “a seismic shift in orientation” and what does it mean to bring God’s kingdom to earth inside of us as we pray? Adele closes with practical ways to incorporate prayer into the margins of your life.

 

 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Invitations From God by Adele Calhoun

Guerrillas of Grace by Ted Loder 

Engaging a transforming conversation around policing in America (Beyond Words Blog post)

 

Support the podcast by joining our revamped patron program over on Patreon. Patrons will now also receive regular bonus content as well as opportunities to hear Ruth answer their questions. Become a patron today and support our podcast ministry.

 

SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS

You can also access the podcast on Stitcher and Spotify.

 

Music Credit:

Grace and Peace: Music in Solitude CD (Available soon in our online store) 

 

The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders.  Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!  

Season 13: Episode 9 | Invitations from God: Invitation to Wait

This week Ruth and Adele discuss God’s invitation to wait. They process the difference between good waiting and bad waiting and ask what waiting exposes in us? The two also examine when waiting is avoidance, particularly as it pertains to justice and how to discern when to wait and when to act. Finally, they also look at what invitations to wait God might have for the church as we come out of the pandemic. 

 

 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Invitations From God by Adele Calhoun

 

Support the podcast by joining our revamped patron program over on Patreon. Patrons will now also receive regular bonus content as well as opportunities to hear Ruth answer their questions. Become a patron today and support our podcast ministry.

 

SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS

You can also access the podcast on Stitcher and Spotify.

 

Music Credit:

Springs of Living Water: Music in Solitude CD (Available soon in our online store) 

 

The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders.  Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!  

Season 13: Episode 8 | Invitations from God: Invitation to Forgive

The invitation to forgive is one of our most weighty invitations, as Ruth and Adele will explore. In this conversation, they will put some definitions around forgiveness, reconciliation, and how our narratives and facts are involved when it comes to the process of forgiveness. They share wisdom for when forgiveness is needed but not offered and close with tangible support for pastors to enter into their own process of forgiveness as they untangle the many wounds they may have received in this difficult season. 

 

 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Invitations From God by Adele Calhoun

The Soul of Shame by Curt Thompson 

 

Support the podcast by joining our revamped patron program over on Patreon. Patrons will now also receive regular bonus content as well as opportunities to hear Ruth answer their questions. Become a patron today and support our podcast ministry.

 

SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS

You can also access the podcast on Stitcher and Spotify.

 

Music Credit:

Grace And Peace: Music in Solitude CD (Available soon in our online store) 

 

The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders.  Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!  

Season 13: Episode 7 | Invitations from God: Invitation to Admit I Might Be Wrong

The invitation in this episode may be our most challenging yet: God’s invitation to admit I might be wrong. Why is it so hard to admit that we may be wrong and how does shame keep us from this invitation? Ruth and Adele discuss the invitation to teachability, confession, discerning when to allow space to be wrong and when to speak up for what is right, and more.

 

 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Invitations From God by Adele Calhoun

 

Support the podcast by joining our revamped patron program over on Patreon. Patrons will now also receive regular bonus content as well as opportunities to hear Ruth answer their questions. Become a patron today and support our podcast ministry.

 

SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS

You can also access the podcast on Stitcher and Spotify.

 

The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders.  Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!